November 23, 2016

1,000 women to walk for Maria

Today, the opposition Members of Parliament held up “Free Maria” posters and marched in solidarity for Bersih chief Maria Chin Abdullah, who is being held under Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma).

Tomorrow, hundreds of women are expected to make a 1,000 women-march from Padang Merbok to Parliament tomorrow, to show that Malaysian women will not take the detention of Maria, a mother of three, sitting down.

Posters calling for “Walk for Maria Chin” have been going viral on social media and many are continuing to share it.

Simply organised by “Women for Maria”, the march is expected to raise the spotlight on the injustice of Maria’s incarceration of being held in solitary confinement and without being charged, only because she is Bersih chief.

Maria’s son, who has managed to meet her once, has said that she is kept in a cell with no bed, only a wooden plank and lights on 24 hours, with police women constantly shouting at her. No one knows where she is being held. Under Sosma, which was designed to curb terrorists, Maria can be held up to 28 days before being charged or released.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi had stated that despite police being under his ministry’s purview, it is the Attorney General and Inspector General of Police who would be answerable for Maria’s detention under Sosma.

Yet again, tomorrow, if women in yellow and purple walk hand in hand to demand Maria be freed, the world’s spotlight will be on Malaysia’s treatment of a woman who had rallied tens of thousands of people to stand up and state their stand against corruption.